“Ahalan”
April 20, 2009
An Israeli entry into the annual Eurovision Song Contest from 1991 includes the following joyous verse:
“Here I set my table
A piece of bread, a fresh flower
I opened the door for my neighbors
And whoever comes, we’ll greet ‘Ahalan’
And whoever comes, we’ll greet ‘Ahalan’
The song titled“Kan Beti / Kan Nolad’ti (Here Is My Home / Here I was Born)” came in 3rd place in the contest, and that concluding word of the verse, “Ahalan” captures an interesting bit of contemporary, colloquial Hebrew.
There are, of course, several ways in which we greet one another as Jews. A very traditional greeting is the somewhat formal expression, “Shalom aleichem” (Peace be upon you), to which the customary response is offered, “V’aleichem ha- shalom” (and upon you be the peace). News broadcasts on TV and radio often begin “Shalom rav” (great peace), or simply “Shalom”.
But more and more, when Israelis on the streets of Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Netanya, or K’far Saba greet one another, they use the term “ahalan.” Like many words in contemporary Hebrew slang, ahalan is taken from the Arabic language. In Arabic, Ahalen WaSahalen is a formal phrase connonting “welcome.” The Arabic word ahal is one of many terms for “family”, a word related to the Hebrew word “ohel”, meaning “tent”, or the place where the family lives.
In his regular column on language that appears in the Jerusalem Post, Hebrew scholar, Joel Hoffman reflects, “What better greeting could be offered to a weary desert traveler than to be welcomed into the protective shade of a tent or the warm company of family. Indeed, Abraham is known for his generosity in welcoming strangers into his family tent. And though tents are now rare in Israel, the cordial greeting pays homage to a form of ancient hospitality.”
In our Temple’s Mission Statement, we express that same desire to welcome into the open doors of our tent …all who seek a Jewish religious connection and who choose to embrace and participate in Jewish culture.” From the early days of our people to the Jewish world today, such warmth, hospitality and welcome continues as an essential value to be both expressed and realized by our words and our actions. Let us always bear in mind, as members of a warm and welcoming congregation, that “whoever comes, we’ll greet ‘Ahalan’.
